It's a Living
by Infinity Blue
Summary: Pre-RENT, Mimi-fic. Starts out when Mimi first comes to NYC and makes a living there...and later, tragically becomes HIV positive. Review, please!
1. 1

Author's Note: No, I am not dead. I just got kind of lazy…I needed a break. A rather long one :-/. Sorry for the people who are still waiting for an update on HDYLTPB, I promise I haven't abandoned it, and when I have the time I'll update it. Anyway this is pre-RENT, it's a Mimi-fic, whatever you'd want to call it. Hope you like. And review if you want my other story to see the light of day ever again (mwah haha…)

Disclaimer Note: I don't own (some of) these characters, blah blah blah…

Seventeen year-old Mimi Marquez shifted her bright purple duffle bag onto her other shoulder, and the weight from the strap dug into her arm painfully. With her free hand, she pushed her wild brunette curly hair out of her face. The city seemed a lot bigger than it had when she'd lived there. Of course, that was years ago.

Even though she was still in high school (though she hadn't sat through a whole day of class for as long as she could remember,) Mimi had taken it upon herself to move out of her house. Well, technically her stepfather kicked her out. But she'd been wanting to leave that shitty split-level forever. Having Rich screaming at her to get the fuck out of there was a relief, because at least now she knew she had his permission. Her mother had died when she was a kid, and her stepfather, whom her mother had married shortly after Mimi was born, rarely did anything other than drink and shout and tell Mimi how slutty she was dressed, or scream at her about the phone calls he'd been getting about how she hadn't been in class for the past couple of weeks.

So she left. She packed her bag, just with clothes and money (most of which she'd stolen from Rich's wallet), and bought a bus ticket to the last place where she'd felt truly at home; New York City.

When she was little, when her mother was still alive, she would go with her mother and older sister Isabella to the city every once in a while, sometimes to the theatre or ballet, or just out to dinner. It was only an hour's drive by car, and sometimes they took the bus. Isabella now lived in the Bronx with her boyfriend, and Mimi hadn't spoken to her in a long time. After their mother died, it seemed that they drifted apart. That was alright though. She didn't need anyone else. As long as she had the money to survive, she'd be fine. She'd get a job, and an apartment. She'd do alright.

Mimi stared at the subway map, her eyes straining, as she tried to figure out where she was. She could barely concentrate as the roar of the shuttle ran by, and an elderly African American man played his ukulele in the corner as people dropped a few coins at his feet.

It was too bad she never took up an instrument, Mimi thought. She could've made a living by playing the guitar or something on the Subway.

She studied the map a bit longer, and slowly, it began to made sense to her, and she figured out which line to take to get to SoHo.

She retrieved her metro card from her bag, and hurried over to the subway, stepping inside just as the doors were closing.

There were a few empty seats, and Mimi sat down, trying to ignore the fact that the man standing across from her was staring at her a little too intently. She pretended to fiddle with the strap of her bag, and then leaned down to pull up the zipper on her knee-length boots that she'd 'borrowed' from a friend.

She'd get a job as a waitress, maybe, she decided. Or a cashier. Something that didn't involve too much of her time. Maybe if she came to work on time and if her boss liked her, she could take days off, even. She could look for one of those 1-bedroom apartments downtown.

The subway came to a halt, and several people came in and out, transferring to other cars. The man across from her remained where he was, his knuckles gripped tightly around the bar above his head.

A girl with short-reddish hair, wearing a leather skirt and fishnets stumbled into the car, plopping down into a seat and sprawling out as she pleased. Although her hair was an unnatural red color, the girl looked like she was of Spanish descent. She began picking at her neon-painted nails.

"Excuse me?"

Mimi looked up.

The man who'd been standing across from her hovered above her, looking down at her, his eyes wide and bloodshot. He cleared his throat and coughed into his hand.

"Would you like to come home with me?" he said.

Mimi blinked. "Excuse _me_?"

"I said, would you like to come home with me? I could show you a good time," he grinned, revealing a yellowed smile.

The girl with the red-hair watched the two of them, suddenly interested.

"No thank you," Mimi said, flatly.

"Aw, come on, you look like a girl who knows how to have a fun time," the man protested, placing his hand on her knee.

"Please don't touch me," Mimi said quietly, moving her legs and pulling her skirt over her knees.

"Don't be such a prude, babe. I promise you it'll be worth it," he rasped. "What do you want, I can pay you, you know."

Any other people in the car who had been listening looked away then, not wanting to interfere. That was the funny thing about New York. There could be a crowd of people all talking at once, but everyone always seemed to mind their own business. The red-head was the only one still looking at Mimi and the man who was leaning towards Mimi, a little too close for comfort.

"Listen, asshole," Mimi said angrily, through gritted teeth. "I want you to leave me alone. Okay? Just go away."

"Aw what's wrong, you don't warm up to people easily?" he laughed. "What's the bag for? Your boyfriend kick you out or something?" he asked, nudging the duffel bag with the toe of his boot.

"Hey!" the red-head said suddenly, standing to her feet. She grabbed one of the poles to steady herself. "She just told you to leave you alone."

The man looked at the girl, surprised. "You gonna make me, Pippi Longstocking?" he said, with an amused expression on his face.

The girl crossed her arms over her chest, revealing a tattoo of a rose on her upper arm.

"No," she said. "But there's a cop in the next car who I'm sure would love to deal with you. Unless you fuck off. Now."

The man looked angered, realizing he'd been defeated. "Dyke," he mumbled under his breath to the girl as he shoved past her. "Not my fault your friend's a goddamn tease."

"Thank you," Mimi said, once the man had left the car.

"Hey, no problem. I know how that goes, it's happened to me plenty of times. You just have to know how to handle yourself," the girl said, resitting herself next to Mimi. "Do you mind?"

"No, go ahead," Mimi moved her bag and shifted over so that the girl could sit.

"What's in the bag? Are you a runaway or something?"

Mimi couldn't help but smile. "Yeah. I am, actually."

The red-head laughed. "That's great. You got a place to stay?"

"No," Mimi admitted. "I figured I'd just kind of camp out somewhere…"

"Camp out? Downtown? That's like _trying_ to get yourself mugged," the girl grinned, showing straight white teeth, and a slightly chipped front tooth. "Why don't you stay with me? My friend and I have a place not too far from here. It's on Greenwich street. It's no fucking motel, but we've got a pull-out couch and everything. What do you say?"

Mimi hesitated. "Are you sure it's not a problem?" she asked.

"It's fine! We don't bite, I promise," she smiled. "And besides, I'd hate to see a nice girl like you end up getting mugged on the street or something.

Mimi chuckled to herself at the term _nice girl_. "Well, thank you," she said, relieved that she wouldn't have to sleep on a bench that night.

"I'm Edith, by the way," the girl said, sticking out her hand. "My friends usually call me Edie, though."

"I'm Mimi," Mimi said, taking her hand.

"That's cute. How long are you in the city for?"

Mimi shrugged. "Forever, I guess. Unless something goes wrong."

Edie laughed. "Sounds like a plan."

"You can just toss your bag anywhere," Edie said to Mimi as she shoulder the front door to the apartment open. "There're only four rooms…there's the bedroom, the bathroom-which you should be careful of when flushing, by the way…and then there's the kitchen, which is like two feet wide, and then there's the living room. Where you'll sleep."

"This is really nice of you," Mimi said, shaking her head as Edie switched on the light.

"It's no problem. Oh yeah, and I wouldn't recommend drinking from the sink either. Not unless you wanna drink toilet water."

Mimi made a face. "Thanks for the warning." She sat down on the couch and pulled at a loose thread on its arm. "So, do you live here with your boyfriend?"

Edie snorted. "Honey, I'm a lesbian."

Mimi turned bright red. "Oh," she stumbled, "Sorry…"

"That's okay. Maria and I've been living together for a couple of months now. Speak of the devil, where the hell is she? MARIA!" she yelled in no particular direction.

"Coming, babe!" 'Maria' shouted back.

Mimi and Edie heard the sound of a toilet flush, and Maria emerged, drying her hands on her green cargo pants. She looked to be of Asian descent, and her black hair was pulled into pigtails on either side of her head.

"Who's this?" she asked, seeing Mimi.

Edie grinned. "I found a stowaway on the subway. Her name's Mimi. I told her she could sleep on the couch until she gets a place of her own. I'll vouch for her, she's not crazy. At least, I hope not," she laughed, and Mimi smiled.

Maria shrugged. "Alright, it's cool I guess." She glanced at Edie. "You've told her about us, right?"

"Yeah, I told her."

"Good." Maria smoothed out strands of hair that had loosened from her pigtails. "You know, Mitch is having a party tonight. Over on Elizabeth. What do you say?"

Edie glanced at Mimi. "Would you mind?"

"No, not at all," Mimi assured her.

"There'll be alcohol," Edie teased.

Mimi smiled. "I'm game."

"How old are you, anyway?" Maria asked her.

"Seventeen. What about you guys?"

"Edie's nineteen. I'm twenty." Maria grinned. "So none of us are legal yet."

"Legal, schmegal," Edie sang. "We need to get ready."

"Alright, I just…don't have anything to wear," Mimi said, sheepishly.

Edie and Maria gave each other wild looks.

That's okay, hon, we'll just pick you out a little ensemble from the closet," Edie assured her, smiling. "You'll be the belle of the ball," she said, and Maria giggled.

Mimi smiled. How ironic to think that such a shaky start on the subway would end up so nicely?

A/N Review, or I will eat your young J New chapter coming soon.


	2. 2

"I told you my closet has everything," Edie teased, as she, Maria and Mimi stumbled out of the subway.

Mimi struggled to catch her breath as they ran up the stairs, laughing. For Mimi, Edie had pulled out a very short, tight, and low-cut black dress. Mimi had opted to keep her boots.

"You do look hot," Maria agreed, pulling up the strap on her bright pink halter top. "If I wasn't dating Edie, I'd totally hit on you."

Edie stuck her tongue out at Maria and yanked the two of them down the street.

"Didn't the cops bust up Mitch's last party?" Maria asked.

"No, that was another guy. I can't remember his name. I was too stoned," Edie grinned.

"You crackwhore," Maria replied. "Anyway, his place is just another block down. Pretty convenient, huh?"

Mimi nodded, adjusting the large hoop earrings she'd borrowed from Edie. She'd tied her curly hair into a bun so I wouldn't get caught on the earrings.

"Just to warn you, Mitch's party can get pretty rowdy," Edie said, as they neared an apartment with heavy music blasting, and reeked of smoke and reefer.

"It's no problem," Mimi said. She'd been to plenty of parties herself all involving drugs, sex; the usual. The last one she'd almost gotten arrested at, when someone's mom told the cops they'd gotten ahold of marijuana. Rich nearly kicked her out of the house when he found out.

They approached the front door, which was open, and the three of them stepped in.

The place really did _reek._

"Ew," Maria said, fanning the air with her hand. "Just how many people have had sex in here in the past twenty four hours?"

"Me alone, or other people?" said a male voice from behind them.

"Hey, Mitch!" Edie squealed, giving the owner of the voice a hug.

He was pretty cute, Mimi thought. He had dark eyes and hair. He had a pretty intense stare, too.

"Mitch, this is Mimi," Edie said, jabbing Mimi lightly in the side.

Mitch unashamedly looked her up and down. "Hi," he said, with a small smile on his lips.

"Hi…" Mimi said, uncertainly.

"You guys want anything?" Mitch asked.

"What have you got?" Edie said.

"The usual…we got more of those jello-shots. You want those?"

"_Yes please_," Edie laughed.

"Alright," Mitch said, winking at them. "Be right back."

"Hey, Edie! Come over here!" someone yelled from the other side of the room.

Edie rolled her eyes. "Coming!" she yelled back.

She turned to Mimi. "I'll be right back, 'kay babe?" she said.

"Sure, go ahead," Mimi said.

"I'll be back in a sec. Tell Mitch to save me one of those shots," Edie warned, pulling Maria along with her.

Mimi panned her eyes across the room. The majority of the people there weren't really dancing to the music. The people on the couches either had their shirts or pants off, and the people sitting on the beanbags in the corner were passing around a bowl full of god knows what.

Mimi pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and walked into the group of people drunkenly dancing, trying not to make it too obvious that she didn't know anyone there besides Edie and Maria.

Out of nowhere, she felt a hand slap her ass and she jumped, whipping around.

"Nice, honey!" one guy laughed at her direction.

Mimi rolled her eyes.

Mitch came by with a tray with the jello-shots and Mimi took one, gratefully, and downed it in a second.

She made a face. "What the hell is in this?" she asked Mitch.

Mitch laughed. "I don't think you want to know."

Mimi smiled. "Oh, really?"

Mitch nodded. "Yeah. Seriously. Take my advice, try to keep your clothes on tonight, alright? That stuff has some wacky side effects."

Mimi laughed. "I'll do my best," she assured him.

Mitch nodded, and then disappeared into the crowd again.

The shot had left a bad taste in her mouth. She spit into her hand and wiped it on her dress.

"There you are!" Edie said, taking Mimi by the arm.

Mimi smiled. "Hey."

"You liking the party?" Edie asked.

"Yep. Where's Maria?"

Edie rolled her eyes. "She's dealing with some kid back there. I didn't want to be a part of that shit, so I came back here."

"What was he dealing?" Mimi asked.

"I don't know. Coke, probably. I tried it once, and my nose bled for two days straight."

Mimi made a face, not admitting that she'd tried it herself a couple of times.

"Edie, come here you slut!" a blonde girl giggled, grabbing Edie and kissing her on the lips. Then, she gave Mimi a quick peck on the cheek.

"Hey, honey," she grinned. "I don't think we've been acquainted."

"I'm Mimi," Mimi said.

"Awesome. "I'm Ava. You look kinda young, no offense."

"Don't worry. She's cool," Edie said, nodding at Mimi.

Mimi nodded too. Her head was beginning to spin from the shot.

Edie and Ava went off together in the crowd, and Mimi sluggishly made her way around the apartment, getting pressed against the wall in the process by stoned couples who didn't see her, or drunk guys who were mistaking her for someone else.

"I think the bedroom's free now," one guy grinned at her, placing his hand on her thigh.

Mimi removed his hand. "I'm not," she said hotly.

She moved towards the bathroom, and when she opened the door she found Mitch sitting on the toilet, smoking a joint.

"Sorry," she said, starting to close the door.

"No, it's fine. Don't go. I just needed a moment to myself. Sit down," he put out the joint in the toilet.

Mimi hesitated, than sat down on the side of the tub, crossing her legs.

Mitch smiled at her. "You having a good time?"

Mimi's head felt like it weighed twenty pounds. "Yeah."

Mitch leaned towards her then, and kissed her. He smelled like pot.

Mimi kissed him back, not caring about any morals she might've had.

She felt his hand on her back, slowly unzipping the back of her dress.

Mitch laughed. "You're wearing a bra. Very impressive. Most girls here are either too stupid or too slutty to wear one.

Her dress was pulled down around her waist now, and she felt Mitch's hands on her chest and stomach.

Just then, someone opened the door.

Mitch groaned and pulled away from Mimi. "Close the fucking door!"

The person at the door laughed. "Sorry, Mitch. Go back to what you were doing."

Mitch rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand and looked at Mimi. His face reddened a little.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't be doing this. I'm high."

"It's alright," Mimi murmured, pulling the zipper on her dress back up. "I'm not exactly sober myself." Her head was pounding.

She looked at the toilet Mitch was sitting on.

"Do you mind?" she asked. "I think I'm gonna hurl."

Mitch jumped up from the seat. "Be my guest," he said, and she knelt down by the bow and threw up. She felt Mitch's hands holding back the hair that had loosened from her bun back. She could feel his breath on her neck.

"Thanks," she said, wiping her hand on her mouth.

"Feel better?" he asked.

"Not really."

Mitch shrugged. "Sorry."

Mimi adjusted the straps on her dress, and stood up, shakily. "I'm gonna go find Edith," she said.

"Okay," Mitch said. "And I'm sorry about…what just happened. It shouldn't have. You're hot. I'm high."

Mimi smiled. "It happens."

They both exited the bathroom like nothing had happened.

"Oh, I love the smell of must at one in the morning," someone on the couch said, yawning.

"That's disgusting," someone else replied.

Mimi sat next to Maria and Edith. Her eye make-up was beginning to itch, and the walls looked like bugs were crawling up the sides of them.

Edie groaned and held her head in her hands. "I'm done for the night. Well, morning. You guys want to head on home?"

"Sure," Mimi said, not taking her eyes off the wall.

Maria unlatched herself from someone else's arms and stood up, holding out her hand to help Edie up.

Mimi got up and followed them to the door. She met Mitch's eye.

He blinked. "Bye," he said awkwardly.

Mimi nodded, and gave a small wave as Edie closed the door behind them.

"Well, that was fun," she giggled, as they made their way to the subway.

"I hope we don't get killed," Maria mumbled. "You always hear something about three girls cracked out of their minds getting killed on the street, right?"

"Shut up," Edie said. "You're freaking me out."

She turned to Mimi. "I heard you and Mitch got…more acquainted in the bathroom," she laughed.

Mimi smirked. "Not exactly. We didn't actually do anything."

Edie shrugged. "Alright. Come on, let's hurry. I have to take a crap."

Mimi laughed and allowed herself to be drunkenly lead to stairs leading down to the subway.


	3. 3

Mimi woke up the next morning with a bad taste in her mouth, and felt like someone had socked her in the stomach.

She rolled over on the couch, onto her stomach, and groaned. She hadn't bothered to take off her make-up or change out of the dress. All she'd wanted to do when she got home was crash on the couch.

She could hear Edie and Maria moving around in the other room. A few seconds later, the bedroom door opened, and Edie came out.

"Get up!" she sang, poking Mimi in the side.

Mimi grumbled and slowly sat up, squinting up at her. "What time is it?"

"I don't know. It's morning. You hungry?"

"Not really. I still feel sick from last night."

"Me too. Those shots were pretty strong."

"It's alright. I've had worse," Mimi said, which was true.

"Well, Maria just left for work. Her boss is gonna kill her for coming to work with a hangover."

Mimi yawned, and scratched the back of her head. Her curly hair stuck out in different directions.

"Where does she work?" she asked.

"The Cat Scratch Club."

Mimi paused for a moment, then shook her head, showing she didn't know what that was.

"It's a club. Maria's a dancer."

"A strip club?" Mimi asked.

"You could call it that, I guess. The guys come in, they pay to drink and watch the girls dance around half naked."

Mimi laughed. "That's generally what you call a strip club."

Edie shrugged. "Whatever. Maria's fine with it, and it's decent pay. The guy who owns the place is a nice guy, surprisingly. His name's Terry. Maybe you could get a job there."

"Maybe," Mimi said. "I do need the money."

"If you're interested, just ask Maria. She could talk to Terry for you."

"Okay. Thanks," Mimi said, and then yawned again. "I'm gonna take a shower. It's so hot in here."

"Yeah, our AC's kind of fucked up," Edie apologized. "Do you have your own shampoo and shit, or do you wanna borrow some?"

"I've got some in my bag. Thanks, though."

"Alright. I'm gonna toast a bagel or something. Pray I don't burn down the apartment."

Mimi grinned. "Okay."

"Go shower. You stink," Edie commanded, and then disappeared into the kitchen.

Twenty minutes later, Mimi came out of the bathroom wearing a light blue robe, and was towel-drying her curly hair with a towel that Edie had lent her.

She wandered into the kitchen, where Edie was carelessly shoving dirty plates into the sink, under the hot water.

"Hey, beautiful. Did you get hot water?"

"Yeah. It was fine."

"It didn't go cold on you or anything?"

"Nope, it was perfect."

"Good. I'm heading out in a bit, you wanna come? I'm meeting some friends."

"Sure. If it's not a problem, I mean," Mimi said, wrapping the towel around her head.

"It's not a problem at all! They're a wild bunch…good kids, though. You'll like 'em. Go get dressed, we'll leave in a few."

Mimi pulled out a leather skirt and red halter top from her bag, and quickly slid them on.

She found her boots by the door, and put them on over her fishnets just as Edie came out, ready to go.

Edie put on a pair of sunglasses. "You look hot."

Mimi laughed. "You too."

"I know." Edie grinned at her.

They headed out for the subway, and rode for about two stops before Edie tugged on Mimi's arm and the two of them got off.

They walked to a wide alley behind _Chino__'s_ restaurant, where three people, two girls and a guy, were sitting on top of old tires and passing around a lighter.

"Hey, bitches," Edie called out, and the three of them looked up.

"Hey, Edie!" a low voice came from the girl wearing a tight sixtie's-style dress, and Mimi realized that she wasn't a girl at all.

As she and Edie approached the group, Mimi realized that both of the two 'girls' were actually men.

"Mimi, this is Derek, Sushi, and Angel," Edie said, pointing to each one of them, who took a turn at shaking her hand.

"She's a cutie, Edie," the crossdresser named Angel said. She was of some Spanish descent, and had a distinct hint of an accent when she spoke. She wore a wavy black wig that flattered her dark eyes. Her broad, muscled arms and wide shoulders looked a little awkward in the tight top she was wearing, but her chest was pretty impressive.

Sushi had her make-up caked on her face, and resembled a clown, almost. She wore a heavy fur coat, even though the weather was way too warm for it. She had on white stiletto heels, that looked painfully narrow.

"I met Angel and Sushi at a gay bar last spring," Edie said. "Sushi performs there."

Sushi's bright red lips smiled. "Have you heard of me?" he asked Mimi. "Sushi Delight? There are some fliers around with my picture on them."

Mimi shook her head.

"She's kind of new to the area," Edie explained to Mimi. "And Angel is a bartender there. Only she doesn't wear the drag when she's on the job, so if you ever see her there, you probably wouldn't be able to recognize her."

Angel gave Mimi a shy smile and shrugged. Mimi smiled back at her.

"And Derek I met at the Life Café. That's a little restaurant a couple of blocks away. I'll show you it sometime. It's small, but the food's really good."

Derek had short black curly hair, and wore a dirty white T-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans. For a guy, he was pretty small. He stood leaning against the back wall and was only a little taller than Mimi, who was only 5'1.

"Are we gonna just sit here or are we gonna do something?" Sushi demanded, impatiently.

"Don't get your panties in a knot. I was thinking of showing Mimi the area. You guys wanna head over to St. Mark's place?"

"Shit, I can't go there. I have some dues to pay the man," Sushi said, with a sheepish look on her face.

"Who's 'the man'?" Mimi asked, confused.

Edie snorted. "Her drug dealer."

"Oh, don't look at me like that. You used to do that shit too."

"Yeah, but I quit because I knew better," Edie shot back.

Sushi shrugged. "To each her own," she said.

"So you're not coming, then?" Edie asked.

"No. If he sees me, he'll castrate me."

"I'll go," Angel offered.

"See, there's someone who knows how to have fun!" Edie exclaimed. "Are you coming, Derek?"

"He's staying with me," Sushi said, placing her hand over Derek's. "We have some things we need to attend to,' she winked.

Edie shrugged. "Whatever." She turned to Mimi and Angel. "Let's go, you two."

"You should see this place during the Holidays," Angel said to Mimi, as they walked through St. Mark's place. "It's crazy. And that's when all the homeless kids start hanging around more, because of the cold. It breaks my heart, seeing them."

On the subway, on their way to St. Mark's, Mimi and Angel found that they had a lot in common. They had the same taste in clothes, music…and to Mimi's surprise, men.

"Did you know before Maria and I took her in, Mimi was set on sleeping on benches?" Edie told Angel.

Angel's eyes widened. "Don't ever do that. I don't wanna see you getting hurt, honey," she said to Mimi.

Mimi smiled. "Don't worry, I won't. I'm lucky I met Edie, though."

Edie beamed. "What can I say. I'm a lifesaver," she said. She scanned the crowd, looking for a particular stand.

"Guys, I'll be right back. I'm gonna snag a new pair of sunglasses from one of those shops," she told both of them.

"Alright, babe. Don't talk to an strangers," Angel warned her, and Edie stuck her tongue out at her and disappeared in the crowd.

Angel nudged Mimi. "That's the man, over there," he said, pointing to a tall man wearing a black sweatshirt. He had his hood over his head, making him look like the grim reaper.

"You see how he's scanning the crowd like that? He's looking for his clients."

"Are you one of them?" Mimi asked her.

Angel winced. "I was. I used to…shoot up. But I stopped. I found out from a doctor that I was HIV positive.

There was a silence between the two of them.

Finally, Mimi spoke. "I'm sorry," she said, softly.

Angel smiled and shrugged. "Hey. No big deal. I'm still standing here, right?" she grinned, but her smile wavered. "I don't know if I got it from shooting up or sex, but I stopped the drugs anyway. I smoke the occasional joint now and then, but that's it."

She linked arms with Mimi and the two of them walked forward, slowly. They looked at potpourri and rip-off bags that were being sold by a large woman in a brown shawl.

"Hey, fag!" a voice called out from behind them.

Angel turned around to face a tall bald man, with a faded t-shirt and the beginnings of a beer belly.

Angel narrowed her eyes at him. "Excuse me. Are you talking to me?"

"Do you see any other faggots around here? Cause I don't," the man scoffed. "Don't you have any dignity, jesus. Who's that chick with you? Are you pretending to be his girlfriend, honey?" he grinned at Mimi, making her stomach churn.

"Don't you talk to her," Angel snapped. "I don't need to take shit from some middle-aged skinhead that probably can't tell right from left. Why don't you run along home? Get!" she said, waving him off with her hand.

The man stepped forward, menacingly. "Don't talk to me like that, you fag. I see guys like you on the street every day, and it makes me sick to my stomach. You're lucky I don't beat the shit out of you right now."

"You're all talk, honey," Angel said in a tired voice. "Leave us alone, before you exhaust yourself."

"Yeah? What about your little girlfriend then? Does she care that you're a sad man dressed like a fool?"

Angel mumbled something in spanish under her breath. "Listen, you middle-aged, balding, ugly, stupid fuck. I don't care what you think. Now why don't you go on your way, asshole?"

"I'll teach you to talk to me like that…what, if you don't care, how bout I have some fun with your girlfriend?" he sneered, grabbing Mimi's wrist tightly, making her cry out in surprise.

Suddenly, Angel's hand shot out in a fist, catching the man right between the legs.

The man was so startled that he let go of Mimi, and with both hands grabbed his crotch, in agony.

"Honey, I am more than a man then you'll ever be, and more of a woman than you'll ever get," she spat. She took Mimi's hand gently, and the two of them stalked off, leaving the man in a pitiful state.

The two of them giggled as they ran threw the crowd.

"That was amazing," Mimi gasped, trying to catch her breath. "You made him look like a complete idiot."

Angel giggled. "I deal with guys like him all the time. They have more brains in their balls than they do in their head. Come on, let's go find Edie."

Laughing, the two of them walked off and found Edie just as she was finishing paying for her sunglasses.


	4. 4

Mimi was crouched down on the kitchen floor barefoot next to the radiator in a tank top and shorts. Edie and Maria had went out to breakfast together, promising to bring her something back.

Mimi banged on the AC angrily. Sweat had collected at the back of her neck, so she tied her hair back, frustrated.

"Goddamn it. Fucking piece of shit," she swore, banging on the side of it noisily with a screwdriver.

"Need some help?" a male voice said behind her, making her jump.

"Sorry," he laughed, holding his hands up. "I'm not a burglar. I have a key," he said, showing her. "I'm Andy. Edie called me this morning to help with the AC."

"You scared the shit out of me," Mimi said, standing to her feet.

"Sorry. Um, I don't mean to sound rude, but who are you?"

"I'm Mimi. I'm staying with Edie and Maria for a bit. Until I can find my own place."

Andy raised his eyebrows. "How do you know each other?"

"We met on the subway," Mimi admitted.

"Well, that's Edie. Always hospitable," Andy said, wiping his hands on his jeans. "Anyway, it doesn't look like you're getting anywhere with that air conditioner," he said, smiling.

He was cute. "How could you tell?" Mimi replied, grinning.

"Mind if I take over?" he asked.

Mimi stepped aside. "Sure. I don't know what I'm doing anyway."

She climbed onto a barstool and watched him quietly while he fiddled with the radiator.

"So, how do you know Edie?" she said, after a while.

"I guess you can say we're old friends," Andy grunted, as he kicked at the radiator with the toe of his boot. "We used to go out. Before Edie turned out all, you know…"

"Lesbian?" Mimi finished for him.

"Yeah. Anyway, we've still stayed good friends. It's cool. I guess it explains a lot," he shrugged. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Me? No," Mimi said quickly, feeling her face flush.

"Really? That surprises me," Andy smiled.

A whirring sound came from the AC, just then, and slowly the kitchen began to feel a lot cooler.

"Well, it's working," Andy said, as he stood up.

"How did you do that?" Mimi said.

Andy shrugged. "I don't know. My dad's a mechanic. My whole family has a knack for fixing shit."

"Hel-_LO?_" Edie's voice sang out from the other room. "Anybody home?"

"In the kitchen, Edie," Mimi called.

Edie entered the kitchen a few seconds later, followed by Maria.

"So, I see you've met Andy," Edie said. "Isn't he a dream?" she said, grinning.

"Edie…" Andy gave her a warning look.

"Oh, it's alright Andy, nobody here's uncomfortable. Except you. But that's okay."

Andy rolled his eyes. "I got your AC working."

"Oh my god. You're amazing," Edie declared. "It's been like, dead for a month now."

Andy shrugged. "Well, I brought it back from the dead. "You might want to keep it off during the night, though."

Edie turned to Mimi. "Isn't he smart? You guys should date."

Both Mimi and Andy turned red.

Maria nudged Edie. "Edie, I think you're making them uncomfortable," she said, with a hint of a smile on her face.

"Sorry. What can I say, I'm loud and obnoxious," Edie grinned. "Anyway, Mimi, we picked you up one of those scone things from the bakery, if you're hungry."

"Thanks," Mimi said, "I'll have it in a bit."

"We ran into Angel there," Edie told her. "She really likes you. I think you two are soulmates or something."

Mimi laughed.

"I hate to interrupt, but I've gotta get going," Andy said, clearing his throat.

He looked at Mimi. "It was nice meeting you," he said.

"You too," Mimi said, quietly.

Andy waved at Edie and Maria, and slid his hands into the back pockets of his jeans, and left.

"You know, Andy's single," Maria teased.

Mimi rolled her eyes. "Please, I just met him."

Maria shrugged. "Can't you at least admit he's hot?"

"I think I'll have that scone now," Mimi said, hiding a smile as she took the paper bag from the refrigerator.


End file.
